​​The ultimate guide to treating and caring for dry hair

If you run your hands through your hair only to feel frizzy, coarse strands with a texture indistinguishable from straw, you’re painfully familiar with the reality of living with dry hair. While in reality hair never quite shines and bounces like it does in shampoo commercials, there is a lot you can do to get pretty close to the fantasy.

Why so dry?

Dryness can be caused by several factors. It’s important to know why your hair is the way it is before you can treat it. First things first, understand nature’s own hair conditioner – sebum. Sebum is an oil produced by glands under your skin, from where it’s channeled onto your hair follicle, slowly making its way from root to tip. So if conditioning is an inbuilt function, why is your hair still dry? Read on.

It’s in the genesSometimes you just have mom and dad to blame for the fact that your body produces less sebum that it needs. Dietary changes and simple home remedies (look below) can help a great deal if a genetic predisposition is your only problem.

You are what you eatA diet lacking in essential fatty acids like omega-3 (found in fish like salmon and mackerel, flaxseeds and walnuts) will show in your hair health. Other rich sources of healthy fats include avocados, salmon, and olive oil. Since your hair is composed predominantly of protein, foods like beans, eggs, cottage cheese, shrimp, oysters, almonds and walnuts encourage healthy hair growth. Including a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet will meet your nutrient needs, ultimately benefiting hair, skin and overall wellness.

Your shampoo is your enemyShampoos do a good job of branding themselves as all things nice, but look past generic catchphrases and learn to read ingredient labels while making your choice. Shampoos often contain ammonium lauryl sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate – both powerful cleansers that are just as powerful at stripping your hair of natural oils. While oil-enriched shampoos might sound like a good idea, mineral oils, lanolin and petrolatum seal your hair off from absorbing moisture. You’re better off using products with natural oils like olive, coconut, tea tree, hemp seed and jojoba. Silk and milk proteins are an added bonus.

How much is too much?You might love the feeling of clean, washed hair, but washing every day is doing you no favours. Shampooing washes out natural oils along with dirt, so the sebum your scalp produces might never even make it to your tips (which is why ends are often the worst affected by dryness). Washing twice to thrice a week is ideal, and never skip conditioning. Use cold, or at least cool water to rinse your hair.

Styling = dryingIt’s tempting to turn to your trusty iron to enhance your hair’s texture, but heat styling is a double edged sword. Flat irons and blow dries are temporary fixes that make your hair spiral further down the road of damage. It’s best to do away with heat styling for good, but if you must, add a heat protection serum or spray to your routine. The same goes for chemical treatments and dyes. Use products meant to be used on coloured or treated hair to make sure your hair gets the nourishment it needs.

Weather woesSome things are simply beyond your control. The sun shines down on you, smoke blows through your mane, and humidity-season makes your hair a fortress of frizz. Using hats and scarfs to cover your hair during period of sun-exposure is a small step that goes a long way. Products that offer climate-specific benefits are aplenty – find one that suits your environment and exposure levels.

Get to choppingWe’re all guilty of avoiding a trip to the salon because you’re not ready to part with your long tresses. Your mission to be a real-life Rapunzel by avoiding cuts is counter-intuitive. Remember that your hair is built of dead cells, so there’s only so much life you can breathe into them. While topical fixes can make hair look shiner and smoother, only long term care can make new hair healthier. So get a trim every 6-8 weeks, and believe your hairstylist when they name the number of inches you must lose.

Hard water, hard luckIf you live in a place with hard water (water with a higher mineral build-up), you can rest assured knowing that it doesn’t actually weaken your hair. It can, however, be the culprit behind dryness. Again, specific shampoos and conditioners can help combat the problem, and so can showerhead filters.When to see a doctorIf the difference in your hair texture is sudden, it can be caused by a deeper issue. Pregnancy, menopause and certain birth control pills can cause hormonal changes that reflect in your hair texture. If nothing else explains the dryness, get yourself tested for hypothyroidism and anaemia, as they are known to cause sudden hair dryness and breakage, amongst other things.

Home remedies for dry hair

Natural oil treatment

You will need: A natural oil (olive, jojoba, coconut, grape seed or sweet almond oil will do)Why it works: Nourishes and locks in moisture similar to natural sebum.· Dampen your hair (not dripping wet).· Warm the oil slightly above room temperature.· Work the oil into your scalp and hair, and massage gently.· Cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic bag.· Wrap your hair in a warm towel and leave it in place for 30-45 minutes.· Rinse thoroughly and shampoo as usual.· Repeat once a week.

Eggs and honey mask

You will need: 2-3 egg yolks (depending on hair length), 1 tablespoon raw honey, any essential oil (optional)Why it works: Eggs are rich in proteins, sulfur and biotin that build hair. Honey conditions and seals moisture, and is rich in antioxidants that prevent damage, and unclog hair follicles.· Separate the egg yolks from the whites.· Add a table spoon or raw honey.· Add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice to combat the smell.· Whisk the mixture thoroughly.· Apply the mixture to your hair and scalp.· Let it soak for 20-30 minutes.· Use cold or cool water to rinse it out.· Shampoo as usual. Skip the conditioner.· Repeat once a week.

Avocado and banana mask

You will need: 1 ripe avocado, 1 ripe banana, 2-3 tbsp olive oilWhy it works: Avocado is rich in proteins, amino acids and vitamins to soothe scalp and promote healthy hair growth, its natural oil content nourishes and moisturizes. Bananas contain folic acid for shine and high levels of potassium for nourishment.· Blend the avocado pulp and the peeled banana to a smooth paste without any lumps.· Add olive oil and mix well.· Apply this mask on your hair and cover with a shower cap or plastic bag.· Leave it in for 20 minutes.· Shampoo as usual.· Repeat once a week.

Mayonnaise mask

You will need: 1 cup mayonnaiseWhy it works: Contains egg yolks, vinegar, and oils that nourish and moisturise, contains L-cysteine that promotes healthy hair growth.· Apply mayonnaise to your hair from root to tip.· Wrap your hair in a warm towel.· Leave it in for 30 minutes.· Shampoo as usual.· Repeat once a week.Note: For extremely dry hair, you could use a mixture of ½ cup of mayo with ½ cup of olive oil.

Yoghurt and honey mask

You will need: 2 tbsp natural yogurt, 1 tbsp honeyWhy it works: Yoghurt is rich in proteins that build hair, has lactic acid that cleanses scalp. Honey conditions and seals moisture, and is rich in antioxidants that prevent damage.· Combine the ingredients together.· Work the mask onto your scalp and hair.· Massage your scalp well.· Leave the mask on for 15 -20 minutes.· Shampoo as usual. Condition only the tips.· Repeat once a week.

Shea butter mask

You will need: 1 tbsp shea butter, 2 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tspn argan oilWhy it works: Coats the hair shaft to lock in moisture without clogging, mild SPF protects from sun damage.· Melt shea butter and coconut oil together in a microwave or double broiler.· Let the mixture cool and then add the argan oil.· Whip thoroughly to get a creamy texture.· Apply the mask to your hair.· Leave the mask on for 30 minutes.· Shampoo as usual.· Repeat once a week.

Green tea rinse

You will need: Green tea leaves (or) green tea bagsWhy it works: Conditions with vitamin C, E and panthenol, guards against sun damage.· Make 2 cups of strong tea by boiling the tea leaves (or) dipping the tea bags in boiling water.· Allow the tea to cool down until it is warm.· Shampoo as usual and rinse well.· Slowly rinse hair with the warm tea.· Follow with a conditioner.· Repeat in every wash.

Apple cider vinegar rinse

You will need: Equal parts water and apple cider vinegarWhy it works: Conditions with vitamins B, C and potassium, restores natural pH of scalp, flattens hair cuticles for shine and less tangling, exfoliates the scalp of dead skin cells and product build up.· Combine the ingredients.· Transfer into a spray bottle (optional).· Spray the mixture to completely cover scalp and hair.· Leave in for 10 minutes.· Rinse thoroughly.· Apply shampoo and leave it in for 2-3 minutes before rinsing.· Follow with a conditioner.· Repeat once a week.

Coconut milk

You will need: 6 tbsp coconut milk, 3 tbsp coconut oil, 2 tbsp honeyWhy it works: Contains Vitamin E, Niacin, Folate and healthy fats that stimulate circulation in the scalp, nourish dry hair and act as a detangle· Combine all the ingredients.· Coat your hair with the mask.· Leave in for 30 minutes.· Shampoo as usual.· Repeat once a week.

Other fixes you can make every day

· Blow drying your hair is risky business. Even with the use of heat protection products, the damage that heat causes is inevitable. if you’re often in a hurry after washing your hair, you won’t regret investing in a hair drier with a cool air setting.· Towel drying is a safer alternative to blow drying, but vigorously rubbing your hair can cause breakage and split ends. Wrap your hair in a towel and let it sit for minimum damage. But then again, nothing beats air drying.· Wet hair acts like a magnet when it comes to dirt and pollution. These impurities settle on your hair shaft and stay there long after your hair dries. If your hair is wet, do not step outside. · Sleeping with wet hair can be just as damaging. In addition to waking up to a frizzy, crimpled mess, you’re also putting your pliable, wet hair on the path to breakage.· Also be wary of dragging a brush through your wet hair. Brushing makes your hair more brittle and susceptible to breakage. If you’re prone to excess tangling, use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your wet hair instead.· Boar bristle brushes are specially designed to massage and stimulate the scalp. Use a boar bristle brush every night, brushing slowly from scalp to tip to disseminate the sebum from your roots all the way down.· Very tight ponytails and braids eventually weaken your hair’s structure and can lead to breakage and the appearance of a receding hairline. Avoid hairdos that tug on your hair in favour of loose, relaxed styles.· We know you love your bed, but the pillow you sleep on could be working against you. Cotton and linen pillowcases are coarse and create friction with your hair strands. This cause tangling and breakage. Additionally, they absorb oil and moisture from your hair and scalp to cause drying. Use satin or silk pillowcases instead.